'TIS THE SEASON

 I {Maria} love the Christmas season. Decorating the house is one of my favorite past times. I {Will} love... watching. 

 This year we have a real fireplace, complete with mantel and hearth to decorate. Which of course we are taking full advantage of. The mantel was the first thing we decorated for the Christmas season. Two smiling snowman gaze out from the brick shelf beneficently. A garland wrapped in lights hangs in even loops; a bow at the center and each end. Ornaments hang the length of the garland, three on either side of the center bow.

 Acquiring our tree turned out to be an adventure involving two trips to a tree lot, a dead tree, and a trip to a second tree lot. We set out { at 8 o'clock at night} with the intention of visiting several places and shopping for a good deal. A plan we probably should have stuck with. Instead, at the first place we went, tempted by the lowest prices we'd seen, we bought a tree, stuffed it into our Subaru and went home. When we got home, we cut the cords wrapping the tree up {which should have been our hint} and found that the tree was turning brown and losing needles. 

 I {Maria} promptly called the place to see what could be done. They were surprised the tree was already dying and told us to return it, and we did just that. They offered to let us pick another tree, but we took our money back and proceeded to the next lot. There, the trees were not tied up, and we took our time picking out our favorite tree. 

 In the end, with a glass of wine in hand, a glorious Fraser Fir stood in our living room. We draped it in lights and beads and hung pinecones that glittered, silver and green globes, and a few special ornaments interspersed.